Directions:
Salt and pepper the catfish filets. Dredge them in Cajun seasoning
on both sides. Blacken on both sides in hot cast iron frying
pan. Remove and place on pan in oven at 300 degrees while making
roux. For roux: incorporate the flour and the butter to form
a blond roux. Add 3 oz chicken stock, 3 oz heavy cream. When
thickened, add the crawfish tails(Cajun seasoning to taste).
Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Pour sauce and crawfish over blackened
catfish.

In a large ovenproof pan, or Dutch oven
cook bacon until brown and crisp. Remove and drain on paper
towel. Add in the olive oil. Add the rabbit to the flour mixture
and coat well. Sear the rabbit in the bacon grease and oil until
brown on all sides. Remove rabbit and set aside. Add the mushrooms,
potatoes, celery carrots and onions to the oil and start to
brown, add the garlic last. Add the wine. Then , parsley, chicken
stock, half-teaspoon of salt, half-teaspoon of white pepper,
bay leaf, cayenne and bacon pieces.
Add the rabbit. Cover and simmer on stove for 45 min. to 1 hour
or place in preheated oven at 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes
to one hour. Remove from stove or oven if used and stir in heavy
cream and remove bay leaf. Re heat for about 10 minutes or until
desired thickness is achieved with the lid off. Place on serving
plates and garnish with parsley and paprika. Serve with buttered
rye bread and a glass of dark ale or cabernet wine .

Bon Appetit
Jim & Ben A
GREAT HOLIDAY MEAL

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Rosemary
& Fennel Butter

Serve with oven roasted potatoes, harircot
verts and a good Merlot wine.
If you don't have a heavy roasting pan, you can brown and roast
the lamb in a large cast iron skillet.

For seasoned butter:
Mix all ingredients with fork in medium bowl. (Can be made a
few days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. (Bring to room temperature
before using.)

For lamb:
Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 450°F.
Place pan directly on stove over medium-high heat.
Cook bacon well and remove from pan.
Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper.
Add lamb to pan and brown on all sides.
Remove pan from heat. Brush lamb with half of seasoned butter.

Combine all the ingredients in a food
processor and mix well. Remove from processor and place in serving
bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made several
days ahead of time so that the flavors blend together well.

A very good dip served at room temp or
a spread for crackers served cold.

Carolina
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
from Martys

A "dry rub" flavors the meat before it
is cooked, and a "mop sauce" is brushed onto the pork to add
more taste as it is smoked. Once cooked, the meat is pulled
and shredded into just the right size for piling into a bun
or loaded onto a plate. This is the ultimate in Carolina barbecue.

Mix the ingredients in medium bowl. Set
half of the mop sauce aside for dipping sauce for the sandwiches.
The other half for the mop sauce. Cover and refrigerate. This
will be used later.

Start the charcoal fire and bring temperature
of smoker or barbecue to 200°F. to 250°F. Place pork
on rack in smoker. Add wet wood chips to the charcoal. Close
the lid and cook until meat thermometer inserted into center
of pork registers 165°F., turning pork and brushing with
cold mop every hour, about 6-7 hours. The time of cooking will
depend on your smoker. Add more charcoal as needed to maintain
200°F. to 250°F. temperature and more drained wood
chips to maintain smoke level.

Transfer the pork to large baking sheet.
Let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred into bite-size
pieces. Mound on platter. Pour any juices from baking sheet
over pork. Serve now with a nice crispy hard roll and your favorite
b-b-q sauce or some of the mop sauce that was set aside.

This can be made ahead of time and reheated
in your oven @ 350 for about 30-45 minutes.

Relax and enjoy a great Carolina Pulled
pork Sandwich.

Homemade
Onion Dip

This is very easy to make and you get
none of the preservatives.

1- 8 ounce container of sour cream
1 tsp water
2 beef bouillon cubes ( it may need more depending of the beef
flavor and the quality of the cubes)
1/4 to 1/2 cup of diced onion. Depends on the strength of the
onions.

Mix the water and the bouillon cubes
together and melt them in a micro wave till softened about 20
seconds

First; Place the chicken breast on a
chargrill and cook until almost finished.

Then add shredded parmigiano cheese to
the top of the chicken.

Second; place the chicken on an oven
proof dish and place in the oven at 300 degrees while you make
the sauce. This will give the chicken a parmigiano crust.

Heat heavy cream over medium heat in
a large sauté pan. Add butter and whisk gently together.
Add the cheese and stir to incorporate. Season with freshly
cracked black pepper. Reheat the cooked pasta in boiling water
for 1-2 minutes. Quickly drain the pasta and add it to the sauté
pan, gently toss the pasta in the sauce to coat. Transfer pasta
to a warm serving platter or large bowl. Top with the chicken
from the oven and more cheese if you like. Sprinkle with the
chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Cajun
Deep-Fried Turkey

I know, I know ... you're shaking your
head, horrified. "Those guys down south will batter and deep-fry
anything that isn't nailed down!" you shriek.
Well, don't panic -- there's no batter involved here, just one
of the best ways of cooking a turkey I've, we've tasted.
Deep-frying whole turkeys has become fantastically popular over
the past several years. The turkey is anything but greasy; the
deep-frying process seals the outside and the turkey remains
incredibly juicy, while the skin gets wonderfully crispy.

Done carefully and outdoors, this is a safe and wonderful way
to make turkey.
1. Keep your oil temperature to between 325-350;
2. Turkeys 12 lbs and under 2-1/2 - 3 minutes per pound, and
12 lbs and over 3-3 1/2 minutes per pound;
3. If your turkey is floating it is overcooked.

One 12-15 pound turkey
1-1/2 to 2 -1/2 gallons peanut oil *, or other oil with a high
smoking point.
Using a flavor injector (available from cooking and restaurant
supply stores and gourmet shops) inject your favorite marinade
throughout the turkey.
We don't use this, but many folks swear by this. We use just
the dry rub and let it sit a few days.
Sprinkle the entire turkey generously with your favorite dry
rub or Creole seasoning.
We apply the dry rub several days in advance and keep it covered
in the fridge.
Heat the oil to 325-350 degrees -- use a deep-fat frying thermometer
clipped onto the side of the pot.

Be VERY careful not to exceed this temperature, as the oil can
begin to smoke and actually catch fire.

Make sure the outside of the turkey is completely dry (you know
what happens when water hits hot oil).
When the oil hits 350 degrees slide that baby in --gently, or
you'll fry your feet if they happen to be near the oil that
spills out.

Keep constant watch over the temperature and you'll be okay.

Remove the turkey from the oil carefully, and immediately wrap
it with aluminum foil.
LET THE TURKEY REST FOR 30 MINUTES before carving.
Carry-over cooking will finish cooking the turkey outside the
oil, bringing it back to the proper temperature and allowing
the juices to circulate back through the meat.

Carve and serve as usual, maybe with some cornbread stuffing.
And how about some pecan pie for dessert?

*NOTE ABOUT PEANUT OIL: I've heard from many people who've told
me that either they or their children are severely allergic
to peanuts and any peanut product. It's not necessary to use
peanut oil to fry the turkey; it's
just what's commonly used in Louisiana because of its flavor
as well as its very high smoking point; you don't want your
oil catching fire. Any cooking oil that's good for deep-frying
and has a high smoking point (450°F,
preferably) will do -- corn oil, safflower oil, even canola
oil.

Grind crawfish, onions, celery, bell
pepper, and garlic in a home-style meat grinder or cuisinart.
Once ground, add eggs and season to taste using salt and pepper,
Add the ground beef then the breadcrumbs, a little at a time,
to absorb any excess liquid. Add parsley. Mold all ingredients
into hamburger-style patties. Fry in a 10 inch cast iron skillet
over medium-high heat until golden brown or place on your charcoal
grill and prepare just like a regular hamburger.

Method:
Cook Pasta according to package instructions, and Drain. Do
not over cook, remember this has to bake.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Add the butter to a large cast iron pan,
cook the chopped bacon and the onions till golden brown. Remove
the bacon and onions to a Very large mixing bowl. Add most of
the cream, cayenne pepper, cheese, salt, pepper and pasta. Mix
well You may have to add more cream, depending on the
pasta. Return to the cast iron pan, top with American cheese
slices then Sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with the remaining
butter. Bake about 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

1. Remove stems and seeds
from bell peppers. Remove stems from habaneros (and seeds
too, if you want to take the trouble, but if you do you run
the risk of removing membranes, too, which will reduce hotness
of the end product).
2. Put bell peppers, habaneros, and the vinegar in a blender
and process until smooth.
3. Combine pepper-vinegar puree and all the sugar in a non-corrosive
pan.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for
20 minutes.

Remove from heat and strain through cheesecloth into another
pan. Add pectin and bring to a full rolling boil while stirring.
Boil about one minute,
remove from heat and ladle into sterile jars.
Great on a toasted bagel with cream cheese
Yield: about 7 half-pint jars.

First chop your vegetables and parsley, mince
the garlic, and put your stock in a pot on a back burner.
Now make a nice dark roux, following the instructions given
below. When the roux has progressed to the dark chocolate
stage (about forty-five to fifty minutes), add the onions,
then the bell pepper and celery, stirring vigorously all the
while. Continue to stir the roux, and after a few minutes
add your chopped scallions and parsley. Once the onions are
nearly transparent, add the minced garlic to the roux and
start blending in the hot stock, a cup at a time. Let each
addition of stock be absorbed into the roux before adding
more. It will take you several minutes to add the stock in
this way. Once you've added all the stock, you've got the
base for your gumbo. The hard work is now finished and you
can reduce the heat to a simmer and let the gumbo pot more
or less take care of itself, just giving it the occasional
stir. Time now for an adult beverage.

Add the Smoked Sausage, cooked chicken and okra
to the gumbo pot. Assuming that your chicken was completely
cooked when you added it to the gumbo pot, you're now ready
to start tasting and seasoning the gumbo. Although the gumbo
is still going to cook for another hour or so, we want to
give the flavors time to marry in the pot, so now is the time
to start adjusting the spiciness of the mixture. Use a few
drops or more of your favorite hot sauces, along with plenty
of freshly-ground black pepper and crushed red peppers. Add
the hot stuff conservatively! You don't want a fiery hotness
that overwhelms all the flavors of the gumbo After adding
your chicken and sausage to the gumbo pot you can start cooking
your rice. When the rice is done, the gumbo will be, too.
Taste the gumbo and make any last-minute adjustments. Put
some rice in each bowl, sprinkle a little filé powder
on the rice, and dish up a healthy-sized serving of gumbo
on top. Serve up with some of your favorite crusty bread.

Use this recipe as a starting point.

There are innumerable possible variations after
the roux and trinity is added. Reserve some of the chopped
parsley and scallions to add to the pot just before serving.
Add two cups of thickly-sliced okra to the gumbo base with
the *trinity , or add the okra later in the cooking process,
say half an hour before serving, if you want the okra to maintain
more of its texture. Add other herbs to the gumbo pot in addition
to the parsley. You might also try adding a little Worcestershire
sauce, some beer or wine.

Try any left over meats such as pork, ham, beef
or turkey. Have fun -- you're going to love this gumbo!
* The Trinity" of Cajun-Creole cooking = bell pepper,
onions, and celery.

Making the Roux

More than anything else, it's the roux that
gives gumbo its particular character. Making roux is something
of an art. If dark specks appear, or if you smell something
burning, you'll need to throw out the roux and start over.
Don't try to base your gumbo on a burnt roux!

A Cajun roux is just equal parts flour cooked
in oil until it acquires a dark color and a deep, complex,
somewhat smoky flavor with nut-like overtones. The true way
is to cook the roux on the stove top in a deep, heavy cast
iron pot that the gumbo will go in. The catch is that it will
take forty-five minutes to an hour to cook the roux at the
proper temperature so that it doesn't burn, and that you will
need to stir constantly, working pretty hard the whole time.
Some use a large whisk or a large spatula to keep the roux
moving, but I find that a large, long-handled wooden spoon
works best for me.

Before you start cooking, two points of caution.
First, be extra careful when making a roux, since it gets
(and stays) incredibly hot, and if you splash any on yourself,
it's going to stick to you.

Second, you need to have the vegetables for
your recipe already chopped and close at hand before you start
cooking the roux, as well as your stock waiting on a back
burner, already strained and defatted and ready to go. This
is because we are going to slow the cooking of the roux by
adding the vegetables when it reaches the appropriate state,
then after a few minutes more stirring, slowly start blending
in hot stock, a little at a time. If everything isn't ready
to go in advance, you risk burning the whole mess after you've
already put in an hour stirring -- so be sure to get all set
up before starting the roux.

The trick to success in making a roux is to
properly regulate the temperature of the burner. Heat the
fat over medium to medium-high heat before adding the flour.
Stir in the flour, and from that point on, don't stop stirring.
If the roux starts to get darker than a peanut-butter color
before half an hour has passed, your heat is too high. You
may still be able to rescue the batch of roux if it's not
already scorched. Remove the pan from the heat, still stirring,
and turn down the burner a bit. Let the heat dissipate for
a while (keep stirring!) before returning to the heat.

If all goes well, the roux should change from
a peanut-butter shade to a dark chocolate color about forty-five
or fifty minutes into the cooking process . The result will
be a gloriously dark, complex-flavored, authentic base for
your gumbo.

Directions:
Brown bacon in cast iron pot or Dutch oven. Remove bacon and
set aside. Add elk meat to the seasoned flour and coat well.
Add olive oil to the pot. Then brown elk meat in olive oil and
bacon drippings and set aside. Add onions and mushrooms to the
pot and sauté to a light brown, then add the garlic and
sauté for another minute or two. Add the beef stock and
the heavy cream making sure to bring the mixture to a low boil.
Mix cornstarch with cold water and add to pot a little at a
time. Heat this mixture until desired thickness is reached.
When heated through and thickened, return the elk and the chopped
bacon to the pot and simmer for 1/2 hour. Then add sour cream
and warm (do not boil) adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

You can use canned beef broth and chicken
broth if you dont have the stock.

Directions:
Combine chicken and beef stocks in a small saucepan. Boil until
liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Add Port and boil until liquid is
reduced to 3/4 cup, this will take about 40 minutes. Whisk in
cranberry sauce and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about
5 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and
pepper. Set aside.
Season venison with salt and pepper. Char Grill the venison
to you desired doneness, or melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter
in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add venison to skillet
and cook to desired doneness, about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare.
Place venison on each plate and top with sauce.
The sauce is incredible. You can add a little fresh rosemary
if you like. The real trick here is to cook the venison in the
rare to medium-rare range, to keep it from becoming tough. This
is a great, easy recipe -- you can make in in about 1 hour.

Pat tenderloin dry and rub with cajun
seasoning. Cut bacon into 1 1/2-inch pieces. In a heavy kettle
just large enough to hold tenderloin cook bacon over moderate
heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Remove the bacon a
increase heat to moderately high and brown tenderloin on all
sides, about 5 minutes total. With tongs transfer tenderloin
to a plate.

Next add the mushrooms and onions. Saute
until golden brown. Add the wine, and fresh rosemary and boil
mixture for around 1 minute. Return tender loin and cook at
a low simmer, covered, turning occasionally, 20-25 minutes,
or until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches
into center of beef registers 150°F. for medium-rare. With
tongs transfer tenderloin to a cutting board and let stand 10
minutes.

While tenderloin is standing, cut bell
pepper into 1/4-inch dice. Add bell pepper and reduced beef
stock to cooking liquid and boil sauce over moderate heat until
slightly thickened and reduced to about 1-2 cups.

Cut tenderloin into 1-inch-thick slices
and arrange on a platter. Spoon some of sauce over tenderloin
and garnish with rosemary sprigs. Serve remaining sauce on the
side

For garnish2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Add the water to a steamer pot and steam the clams till opened.
Reserve the bouillon.

Allow the clams are cool, remove them
from the shells. Cover and refrigerate until later.

Heat a 6 -8 quart heavy pot over low
heat and add the diced bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons
of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon
is crisp and golden brown. Add the butter, onion, celery, thyme,
and bay leaves to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally
with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables
are softened but not browned.

Add the potatoes and the reserved clam
broth. The broth should just cover the potatoes; if it doesn't,
add enough water to cover them. Turn up the heat and bring to
a boil, cover, and cook the potatoes vigorously for about 10
to 15 minutes. Lower the heat on the pot.. Stir in the clams
and the cream and season to taste with black pepper. Don't let
it boil. The potatoes should thicken the soup naturally.

Ladle the chowder into cups or bowls
and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Rinse the ham and pat dry. To score the
ham, use a sharp knife to make parallel cuts about an inch apart,
across and through the skin into the fat. Cut diagonally across
these first cuts to make a diamond pattern.
In a food processor combine the parsley, rosemary, garlic, red
pepper, salt, and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of the oil and pulse to
a make a coarse paste. Rub the paste all over the ham, pressing
it into the cuts. Cover the ham with plastic wrap, put on a
pan, and refrigerate overnight.
Remove ham from the refrigerator about 1/2 hour before cooking
so the meat can come to temperature. Readjust the seasonings
if you wish. Preheat the grill to high heat. Place the ham on
the skewer and start the rotisserie
Roast the meat on high for 20 minutes, reduce the temperature
and try to keep it around 275-300 degrees F. Cook the ham until
an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part
registers 150 degrees F. A 13-pound ham will take about 4 to
5 hours, about 20 minutes per pound. Depending on the grill
and how many times you peek.
Place the quart of cider in a spray bottle and baste the ham
every 1/2 hour
Let the cooked ham rest, loosely covered with foil at room temperature
for 15 minutes before carving.

In a large bowl stir together garlic,
minced rosemary, and 3 tablespoons oil and add shrimp. Marinate
shrimp, covered and chilled, at least 4 hours, best overnight.

In a shallow dish soak skewers in water
to cover 30 minutes and prepare

Grill.

To grill, thread 4 shrimp on each skewer
and brush with additional oil.

Grill shrimp on an oiled rack, set about
5 inches over glowing coals, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or
until just cooked through. Alternatively, brush shrimp with
additional oil and grill in a hot well-season ridged grill pan,
covered, over moderately high heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side,
or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, dip 1 the fish in cornmeal.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy
large nonstick skillet over med high heat. Add fish, and cook
until bottom is golden, about 4 minutes. Turn fish over and
cook till done about 3 minutes.

Transfer fish, to 4 bowls. Arrange clams,
mussels and sausage around fish. Top with remaining soup. Sprinkle
with parsley.

Serve with WEGMANS Vive La Baguette (bah-get)
An eggshell thin, golden brown crust and airy texture that make
this authentic French bread so exceptional. Like all true baguettes,
it should be eaten within a few hours of baking. If necessary,
re-warm before serving.
Serves 4.

Melt the butter in a medium size sauce
pan. Stir in flour to make a paste and cook over medium heat
for 2 minutes. Stir continuously, don't allow paste to brown.
Remove pan from heat and whisk in hot milk. Return pan to medium
high heat and whisk continuously, especially along sides and
bottom to prevent lumps. Heat sauce to a simmer and season with
Cajun seasoning

Pour some on the plate and the rest over
the bird.

Bon Appetit Jim

Marty's
Drunkin Fruit Salad

Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon
and grapes are abundant during the summer months, and we have
created a refreshing salad using these four wonderful fruits.
This salad is dressed with lime juice, almonds, lemon zest and
rum for a sweet and invigorating accompaniment to any meal.